Bangladesh captain Babar Azam | Source: X.com
The 3rd match of ICC World Cup 2023 will be played between Bangladesh and Afghanistan on Saturday, October 7, at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association stadium, Dharamsala.
Both Afghanistan and Bangladesh will be playing their first match in the World Cup 2023 and will be keen to start the tournament with a victory and set the tone for the remainder of the tournament.
Before heading into the game, let's take a look at the top five player battles for the Bangladesh vs Afghanistan match:
Najmul Hossain Shanto vs Mujeeb Ur Rehman
Mujeeb Ur Rehman | Source: X.com
The face-off between Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mujeeb Ur Rahman promises to be an interesting one, especially since the latter has had the upper hand over the Bangladesh batter in ODIs, dismissing him twice. Najmul Hossain Shanto, on the other hand, has only managed to score 20 runs from the 43 balls bowled by Mujeeb Ur Rahman in ODIs.
Najmul Hossain Shanto vs Mujeeb Ur Rehman: 20 Runs, Two Dismissals, Average: 10
Ibrahim Zadran vs Shoriful Islam
Ibrahim Zadran | Source: X.com
The One-Day International battle between Ibrahim Zadran and Shoriful Islam has been heavily lopsided, with the latter thoroughly getting the better of the Afghanistan batter, dismissing him twice. Meanwhile, Ibrahim Zadran has only accumulated five runs from the 21 balls he has faced from Shoriful Islam.
Ibrahim Zadran vs Shoriful Islam in ODIs: 5 Runs, 2 Dismissals, Average: 2.50
Mushfiqur Rahim vs Rashid Khan
The ODI rivalry between Mushfiqur Rahim and Rashid Khan has been evenly matched, with both the batters and bowler having their moments of dominance.
The spin wizard from Afghanistan has managed to dismiss Mushfiqur Rahim four times in ODIs, but the Bangladesh batter has also stood his ground, mustering 114 runs from the 124 balls he has faced from Rashid Khan.
Mushfiqur Rahim vs Rashid Khan in ODIs: 114 Runs, 4 Dismissals, Average: 28.5
Rahmanullah Gurbaz vs Shakib Al Hasan
Shakib Al Hasan | Source: X.com
Rahmanullah Gurbaz has been on a rampage this year, piling on the runs for Afghanistan. Still, he is up against a formidable opponent in Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan, who has shown him the door three times in ODIs so far, but Gurbaz has given Shakib a taste of his own medicine, scoring 61 runs from 71 balls.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz vs Shakib Al Hasan in ODIs: 61 Runs, 3 Dismissals, Average: 20.33
Litton Das vs Fazalhaq Farooqi
Liton Das | Source: X.com
Litton Das, the wicket-keeper batter for Bangladesh, and Afghanistan's fast bowler, Fazalhaq Farooqi, have had an even contest in ODIs. While Das has managed to score 66 runs off 88 balls delivered by Farooqi, the Afghanistan pacer has also claimed his wicket twice in this format.
Litton Das vs Fazalhaq Farooqi in ODIs: 66 Runs, 2 Dismissals, Average: 34
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